In product development processes, the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method is a method used to break down higher-ranking development requirements with respect to marketing (customer requests, system requirements) into requirements by each design item of the product. For example, in development of industrial products such as automobiles and digital photocopiers, the product is deployed into numerous modules and components in order to achieve higher-ranking development requirements. In QFD, the dependencies between higher- and lower-ranking requirements (between higher-ranking development requirements and the requirements of design items for modules and components) are organized, and based on this organization, the details of design item requirements for each module and component are decided. Based on these decisions, each module and component is designed by numerous design personnel and verification personnel for each design item.
On the other hand, the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) method is a method for organizing the relations between design items of deployed modules and components. Using the DSM method, it is possible to ascertain the type of collaboration between the design items (design personnel and verification personnel) for modules and components (see for example Patent Document 1 below).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-280249